Suspension for Application to Sports Devices

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a spray can ( 20 ) for applying adhesive ( 3 ) and anti-slip particles ( 2 ) to sports devices ( 10 ). The spray can ( 20 ) comprises an at least partially pressurized body ( 4 ) with a spray nozzle ( 5 ), which is filled at least partially with a propellant. In addition to the propellant, at least one adhesive ( 3 ) and anti-slip particles ( 2 ) are contained in the spray can ( 20 ). In order to increase the static friction on sports devices ( 1 ), possibly also for just a short time, anti-slip particles ( 2 ) and adhesive ( 3 ) are applied with the aid of the spray can ( 20 ). In this way, the static friction on holding elements, in particular of sports devices ( 10 ), can be increased very quickly. The spray can ( 20 ) can be designed in one part or in two parts. In a one-part design, the anti-slip particles are added directly to the adhesive. In a two-part design, the anti-slip particles are stored in a second chamber of the spray can ( 20 ). In the two-part design, anti-slip particles can be added to the adhesive.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. national stage of International ApplicationNo. PCT/DE2011/001973, filed on Nov. 11, 2011, and claims the benefitthereof. The international application claims the benefits of GermanApplication No. 102010051090.4 filed on Nov. 12, 2010; all applicationsare incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The invention relates to a spray can comprising an at least partiallypressurized body with a spray nozzle that is at least partially filledwith a propellant.

It is very important for the user to get a firm hold on the sportsdevice when using sports devices such as skateboards, scooters, boots,motor scooters or the like. Strips with abrasive or anti-slip particlesto be affixed in the form of adhesive elements are known in the priorart to increase the static friction on the standing and holding areas.

Adhesive strips of that type are available in standard dimensions andhave to be applied to the respective sports device in a complicated wayand cut to size. A further drawback to these adhesive strips arisesbecause of the fact that a new strip has to be applied as soon as theanti-slip particles are worn away. The old, worn-away strip has to beremoved from the sports device in the process. The sports device canoccasionally be damaged when the adhesive strip is removed. Furthermore,it turns out to be extremely difficult to remove the entire adhesivestrip with all residuals so that a new adhesive strip can be cleanlyapplied. The replacement of an adhesive strip of that type thereforetakes a long time and can also only be done with a great deal of effort.Specifically in the case of sports events, this amount of time is notavailable to a sufficient extent.

Moreover, a combination of a separate adhesive and ground glass forapplication to sports devices can be found in the prior art. Thisapplication serves to provide a point-by-point improvement of worn-awayareas of the adhesive element of a sports device. The adhesive isapplied to the areas to be repair, and the ground glass is sprinkled on.The adhesive that is used has a drying time of more than 40 minutes. Theground glass that is used has an average size of 40 μm. A major drawbackof this application is that it cannot be applied over large areas of thesports device.

The ground glass is not suitable for a large-surface application. Toapply this over a large area, a very large quantity of material has tobe applied to the sports device due to the small grain size. The largestock of ground glass has to be kept available. It is necessary to carryout the repair work in a workshop for this. This is extremelyrestrictive, because a mobile application is not possible as a result ofthat.

Furthermore, the long drying time of the adhesive is especiallydisadvantageous for quick repairs of the adhesive element. Making thesports device available and ready for use again in a very short periodof time is especially important in the area of sports. As an example,the adhesive element should be touched up or replaced during short restperiods. A setting time of more than 40 minutes is therefore notsuitable for use with sports devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The object of the invention is to therefore provide an agent that can besimply and quickly applied, that increases the static friction on sportsdevices and that therefore improves the hold of the user.

The problem as per the invention is solved by including at least anadhesive and anti-slip particles in addition to the propellant. Furtheradvantageous design forms of the invention follow from the sub-claims.

The special advantage of a spray can in contrast to the prior art isthat it can always be carried around everywhere by the user. A smallembodiment can be carried along in a jacket or pants pocket, forinstance. Moreover, it is also conceivable to design a spray can interms of its size, shape and weight so that it can be carried along in asports bag, for example.

The pressure in the spray can and the propellant in the can make simplespraying of the adhesive possible with the aid of a spray nozzle. Theadhesive can therefore be simply applied to an adhesive element, forinstance that of a sports device. The user has to only actuate the spraynozzle for that and evenly apply the adhesive to the adhesive element ofthe sports device at a specified distance form the spray nozzle.

A complicated process of cutting adhesive strips to the size of thesurface of the sports device to be treated is not necessary. The spraycan be used for a surface of any size and shape. Even hard-to-reachareas of sports devices are consequently accessible, for instance roundareas of handles.

The anti-slip particles are also added to the adhesive in anadvantageous design form; they have an average size of 50 to 1,000 μm,preferably 100 to 500 μm, and especially preferably 50 to 250 μm. Whenthe anti-slip particles are added to the adhesive, the static frictionon the holding element of sports devices, for instance, is especiallyincreased with the application of the adhesive. The static friction canhereby be applied to anti-slip surfaces that already exist.

The average size of the anti-slip particles that are used can be adaptedto the application in the process. As an example, a larger grain sizewith an average size of up to 1,000 μm is advantageous for sportsdevices for which the adhesive element is intended to be used withshoes. That is the case for skateboards that the user stands on with hisshoes to carry out tasks and exercises, for instance. A large averagesize of the anti-slip particles is advantageous in connection with this,because the contact surface and therefore the static friction aresubstantially increased as a result of that.

A smaller average size of the anti-slip particles is preferred withother application variants in which the adhesive element makes contactwith the skin of the user. That is the case, as an example, forsurfboards for which the user stands with bare feet on the sports deviceor lies on it wearing only swimming trunks. A large grain size of theanti-slip particles will be perceived as unpleasant by the user inconnection with this. A smaller grain size of 100 to 500 μm reduces thecontact surface vis-a-vis the above-mentioned large grain size andpermits more pleasant handling of the sports device. That is necessary,among other reasons, to avoid injury by the adhesive element.

High levels of holding force can be built up, because the contactsurface and therefore the static friction are large in the case of alarge average size of the anti-slip particles. If the force with whichthe user is at risk of slipping off exceeds the opposing force of thestatic friction, unpleasant injuries such as abrasions could come aboutwhen the user slips off the sports device.

Sports devices that come into contact with especially sensitive areas ofthe skin can be provided with an even finer grain size of the anti-slipparticles, for instance with an average size of 150 to 250 μm. That isespecially the case for surfboards that are used in a prone position bythe user. Furthermore, it is conceivable to also use this for handles ofbicycles, tennis rackets or the like.

In a further advantageous design form, the body of the spray cancomprises two chambers; one chamber is provided to hold at leastpropellant and adhesive, and the second chamber is provided to holdanti-slip particles with an average size of 200 to 2,000 μm, preferably500 to 1,250 μm. The fact that especially large average sizes of theanti-slip particles are used is especially advantageous in thisembodiment. The two chambers of the body can be designed as one piece,as an example. An embodiment with a double base particularly suggestsitself for this.

A two-piece design with chambers that can be separated from one anotheris likewise conceivable. The upper chamber can be filled with theadhesive and the propellant and provided with a spray nozzle here. Thelower chamber is filled with anti-slip particles. The lower chamber isprovided with at least a closable opening in this embodiment. Theanti-slip particles can escape through this opening.

The use of the spray can then provides for a prior spraying of theadhesive onto the adhesive element with the aid of the propellant and asubsequent application of the anti-slip particles. The anti-slipparticles that are included separately from the adhesive in the spraycan could have an especially coarse grain size here. Particles with anaverage size of up to 2,000 μm can be included in connection with this.The opening in the second chamber can be towards the side or towards thebottom, for instance. The anti-slip particles can be simply applied tothe sports device with the aid of the opening.

The opening is adapted to the size of the anti-slip particles in theprocess. The opening can be provided with a screen in connection withthis that at least partially closes the opening with different meshsizes. A slider or twisting closure can be provided here. Different meshsizes of the screen are selected by sliding or twisting the closure toapply anti-slip particles of different sizes. That is particularlyadvantageous when anti-slip particles with different sizes are stored inthe second chamber.

The spray can be used for a multitude of different applications becauseof the use of screens with different mesh sizes. This extends from theapplication to skateboards with an especially coarse grain size to theapplication to handles with an especially find grain size. Inparticular, anti-slip particles with an average size of up to 2,000 μmcan be used in this embodiment. The contact surface and therefore thestatic friction are increased even further because of the use ofanti-slip particles of that size.

It is also possible in this embodiment to add anti-slip particles to theadhesive in addition to the anti-slip particles in the second chamber.

In an especially advantageous design form, anti-slip particles with anaverage size of 50 to 1,000 μm are added to the adhesive in the firstchamber and anti-slip particles with an average size of 200 to 2,000 μmare provided in the second chamber of the body.

Enriching the anti-slip particles with a proportion by weight of 10 to80% vis-a-vis the proportion of adhesive, 30 to 60% is especiallypreferred, is particularly advantageous. This range results for the useof different particles. A proportion by weight of the particles of 10%can already be adequate when certain particles and adhesives are used. Aproportion of anti-slip particles of up to 80% can be necessary forother mixtures. This is particularly the case when the spray can has tobe optimized for certain applications. For instance, also increasing thestatic friction for moist to wet conditions. The range from 30 to 60% byweight has an especially preferential suitability, because this rangeprovides an optimal result for the majority of anti-slip particles andadhesive mixtures.

The increase in static friction is enabled by the use of anti-slipparticles, especially if they are made up of stone chippings, garnet,aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, aluminum-zinc oxide, chromic oxide,ceramic aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide or rubber particles, either asindividual components or a mixture of these components. In particular, amixture of two or more components of the particles listed above isespecially suitable for increasing the static friction.

The adhesive is a physically setting, chemically hardening adhesive or apressure-sensitive adhesive depending on the requirements on the spraycan. Furthermore, paint can be mixed in with the adhesive. The desire tobe different is especially great in youth and leisure sports. The paintthat is mixed in permits the user to also individually design thesurface of the sports devices.

The adhesive has a hardening time of 3 to 5 minutes, preferably lessthan 2 minutes, in an advantageous design form. Only a short drying timeof that type makes it possible for the user to quickly use the spray canwithout major restrictions, for instance during breaks in thecompetition, to increase the static friction and the hold.

The suspension has the major advantage vis-a-vis the prior art that itis easy to apply. The suspension can either be sprayed on, painted on ordabbed on. A complicated process of cutting it to the size of thesurface of the sports device to be treated is not required, in contrastto the prior art. The suspension can be applied to a surface of any sizeand shape and can therefore even increase the static friction andtherefore the hold in hard-to-reach areas of the sports device. Thesuspension can likewise be applied to the existing anti-slip surfaces inan advantageous way; their static friction can be quickly appliedwithout taking a great deal of time, particularly during sportscompetitions, and the grip is consequently substantially increasedbecause of this. This type of application can be repeated several times,one after the other, in connection with this.

To make the application easier, the suspension is provided in a spraycan that ensures simple handling; the suspension can be appliedespecially quickly because of that. The suspension can be carried alongby the user and quickly sprayed on between uses, if necessary, to alsoquickly increase the static friction.

In particular, the suspension can be used in competitions to quicklyincrease the static friction between two runs or presentations, forexample, and to therefore achieve optimal conditions for the user.Furthermore, the suspension offers the advantage that it does not haveto be removed again from the sports device in a time-consuming way afterit wears away, in contrast to the adhesive strips from the prior art;instead, the suspension can be simply and quickly applied to the sportsdevice once again.

The static friction of the surface of the sports device and thereforethe user's hold are improved by the use of anti-slip particles with anaverage size of 50 to 2,000 μm. The choice of the average size of theanti-slip particles depends on the circumstances, for instance largeparticles are required for a moist to wet application environment andsmall particles are sufficient when there is skin contact or indirectcontact, for example shoes.

The static friction can already be increased to an adequate degree withan average particle size of 50 μm with certain mixtures of particles andadhesives. An average particle size of 2,000 μm could be required forother applications, especially for wet environments. An average particlesize of 150 to 250 μm or of 500 to 1,250 μm is sufficient toappropriately increase the static friction for most application areasand particle-adhesive mixtures.

To apply the suspension in an especially easy way, it can be sprayed on,painted on or dabbed on. The special advantage vis-a-vis the prior artis the simple and quick application that permits the suspension to benewly applied in a very short period of time, for instance when thereare breaks in the competition. Use of the sports device is possibleafter a short period of time in combination with a quickly setting glue.

The suspension is especially intended to be used for application tosports devices, such as skateboards and surfboards, to increase thestatic friction. Improving the contact between the user and the sportsdevice is very important with regard to sports devices. That isespecially the case when the user's hold on the sports device is onlyensured with the static friction, for instance in the case ofskateboards and surfboards, to carry out the desired figures andexercises.

A drying time of three to five minutes, preferably less than twominutes, ensures that the suspension can be quickly used. This shortdrying time makes it possible for the user to quickly apply thesuspension without major restrictions, for instance during breaks in thecompetition, to increase the static friction and the hold.

Furthermore, paint can be mixed in with the adhesive. The desire to bedifferent is especially great in youth and leisure sports. The paintthat is mixed in permits the user to also individually design thesurface of the sports devices.

The adhesive is a physically setting, chemically hardening adhesive or apressure-sensitive adhesive depending on the requirements on thesuspension. A physically setting or chemically hardening adhesive isoutstandingly suitable for painting and dabbing applications, forexample. A pressure-sensitive adhesive is especially suitable forsprayable applications.

Furthermore, a spray can is particularly suitable for applying thesuspension to sports devices in a special way; the spray can comprises apressurized body with a spray nozzle, which is at least partially filledwith a propellant. An adhesive and the anti-slip particles are containedin the spray can for this, in addition to the propellant. The spray canallows the user to apply the suspension in an especially simple fashion,because the spray can is carried along by the user and can be used atany time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be explained once again below with the aid of thefigures.

FIG. 1 shows a sports device with applied suspension in an oblique view,

FIG. 2 shows a spray can with suspension being discharged and

FIG. 3 shows a spray can comprising two chambers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A sports device 10 is shown in an oblique view in FIG. 1. A suspension 1with anti-slip particles 2 and an enriched adhesive 3 is applied to thesurface of the sports device 10. The static friction and therefore thehold of the user on the surface of the sports device 10 are increasedvia the anti-slip particles 2. FIG. 2 shows a spray can 20 with adischarging suspension 1 with anti-slip particles 2 and an enrichedadhesive 3. The spray can 20 comprises a pressurized body 4 with a spraynozzle 5.

The spray can 20 is at least partially filled with a propellant to spraythe suspension 1. The spray can 20 allows the suspension 1 to be appliedto sports devices 10 in an especially quick and simple way.

FIG. 3 shows a special embodiment of the spray can; the body 4 comprisesa first chamber 22 and a second chamber 23. The first chamber 22 holdsthe adhesive 3 in connection with this. It can be discharged through aspray nozzle 5 with the aid of a propellant contained in the firstchamber 22 and the pressure built up in the first chamber 22 and appliedto a sports device 10. The second chamber 23 holds anti-slip particles2. The anti-slip particles 2 can be brought out through the opening thatis provided with a screen 24. The screen 24 also preferentially has aclosure that is not shown here. The anti-slip particles 2 can thereforebe brought out of the second chamber 23 with a simply shaking of thespray can 20. The embodiment of the spray can 20 shown here isespecially advantageous for using anti-slip particles with a coarsegrain size and an average size of 200 to 2,000 μm, preferably 500 to1,250 μm. Anti-slip particles 2 that have an average grain size of 50 to1,000 μm, preferably 100 to 500 μm, with a special preference for 150 to250 μm, can also be added to the adhesive 3.

The anti-slip particles 2 are applied to a sports device 10 as follows.First off, the adhesive 3 that has already been provided with anti-slipparticles 2 under certain circumstances is applied to the adhesiveelement of the sports device 10 with the aid of the spray nozzle 5. Ifanti-slip particles with a coarse grain size are to be used on theadhesive element, anti-slip particles 2 can be applied from the secondchamber 23 with the aid of the screen 24 over the sports device 10supplied with adhesive 3 with a simple shaking of the spray can 20. Aspray can 20 in accordance with this example is especially advantageousfor applications in which high static friction is required, for instancefor skateboards.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 Suspension

2 Anti-slip particles

3 Adhesive

4 Body

5 Spray nozzle

10 Sports device

20 Spray can

22 First chamber

23 Second chamber

24 Screen

1. Spray can (20) comprising an at least partially pressurized body (4)with a spray nozzle (5) that is at least partially filled with apropellant, characterized in that at least one adhesive (3) andanti-slip particles (2) are included in addition to the propellant. 2.Spray can (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that anti-slipparticles (2) that have an average grain size of 50 to 1,000 μm,preferably 100 to 500 μm, with a special preference for 150 to 250 μm,are also added to the adhesive (3).
 3. Spray can (20) according to claim1, characterized in that the body (4) is comprised of two chambers,wherein one chamber is provided to hold at least propellant and adhesive(3) and the second chamber is provided to hold antis lip particles (2)with an average grain size of 200 to 2,000 μm, preferably 500 to 1,250μm.
 4. Spray can (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that theanti-slip particles (2) have a proportion by weight of 10 to 80%,preferably 30 to 60%, vis-a-vis the proportion of adhesive.
 5. Spray can(20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first chamber isprovided with a spray nozzle (5) and the second chamber is provided withat least, a closable opening.
 6. Spray can (20) according to claim 1,characterized in that the minimum of one opening can be at leastpartially closed via screens with different mesh sizes.
 7. Spray can(20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the minimum of oneopening can be closed via sliders or a twisting closure and/or that thetwisting closure has openings with different mesh sizes.
 8. Spray can(20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the adhesive (3) is aphysically setting, chemically hardening adhesive or apressure-sensitive adhesive and/or paint can be mixed in with theadhesive.
 9. Spray can (20) according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe adhesive has a hardening time of three to five minutes, preferablyless than two minutes.
 10. Spray can (20) according to claim 1,characterized in that the anti-slip particles (2) that are used are madeup of stone chippings, garnet, corundum, aluminum oxide, siliconcarbide, aluminum-zinc oxide, chromic oxide, ceramic aluminum oxide,silicon dioxide or rubber particles in the form of individual componentsor a mixture of these components.
 11. Use of a suspension (1) comprisingat least one adhesive (3) and anti-slip particles (2) for partialapplication to sports devices (10).
 12. Suspension (1) for applicationto sports devices (10), characterized in that the suspension (1) is anadhesive (3) with anti-slip particles mixed in.
 13. Suspension (1)according to claim 12, characterized in that it can be used for sportsdevices, especially skateboards and surfboards, to increase the staticfriction.
 14. Suspension (1) according to claim 12, characterized inthat the suspension (1) can be sprayed on, painted on or dabbed on.